Book picks similar to
Surviving For Us by Lauren Nicole


military
romance
safe-with-exception
military-romance

Vital Sign


J.L. Mac - 2014
    My little world was bright. I had no complaints. My perfectly simple life made the fall from grace that much more devastating. I plummeted from the heavenly little bubble that I shared with Jake. I fell fast and hard straight into the fiery pits of hell. The knowledge of how things used to be is a bittersweet torture that refuses me even one moment of respite. I live in a painful reverie that I can’t escape. I had it good once.That’s gone now. All of it disappeared like vapor into the ether. I’m a lost woman, wandering through grief and struggling to come to terms with my new title: widow. My family says I need understanding and closure. I say a cigarette and a bottle of wine is a much better option for instant gratification.I’m the awkward, depressed one standing in the corner making everyone around me miserably uncomfortable. I’m the one with vacant eyes that society strives to help but can’t. I’m the one who hands out tight smiles and derisive snorts. I’m the widow adrift in this world with no direction. No meaning. No hope. No vital sign.***Sadie sets out on a journey to healing without knowing that things will get far worse before they get better. Despite her general indifference to organ donation, she finds herself on a journey to seek out the only people who benefited from her husband’s tragic death.Resentment runs rampant as she meets the thriving organ recipients. Anger and jealousy spiral, sending the delicate structure of Sadie’s emotions into a tailspin.Alexander McBride got a second chance—one that he didn’t necessarily want. Alexander is a game changer for Sadie. She hates him for his health but can’t help feeling at home in his presence. He soothes her grief in a way that is intoxicating, addictive even.The heart that once fell in love with her now resides in Alexander McBride’s chest. It’s a circumstance that forces her to wage an internal war fueled by grief, anger, guilt, love, lust, and loyalty.Sadie must discover the things that are vital to going on with her life if she has any hope of finding her way through the all-consuming grief that dominates every waking moment.

Broken Wings


Erika Ashby - 2014
    Married to Lincoln, a military pilot, she's living the Army life she's always loved. Being a sucker for great love stories, Lynsie makes it her mission to find Lincoln's best friend and co-pilot, Dax Adams, a good woman. Losing the one woman he's ever loved, Dax attempts to be a good sport by playing along in Lynsie's match-making scheme. However, Dax is certain he will never get the woman of his dreams. But life doesn't always fly smoothly. When turbulence strikes, Lynsie watches her world crash and burn around her, leaving her empty with broken wings. Despite her grief, can she mend the pieces back together and learn to fly again?

Securing Caite


Susan Stoker - 2019
    It is a spin off of the original SEAL series. It will have a whole new team of Navy SEALs (that you have already met in Protecting Dakota) and takes place in the same city and Navy base as the original. This is Caite McCallan and Blake "Rocco" Wise's story.Caite McCallan is a Department of Defense admin working in Bahrain when a glitchy elevator, of all things, leads to an unexpected invitation to dinner by a gorgeous Navy SEAL. When he later stands her up, Caite’s understandably upset… until she overhears a plot that confirms Rocco didn’t blow her off. Instead, he and two fellow SEALs are in danger — and Caite is forced to put her career and her life on the line to save them. Blake “Rocco” Wise never expected his routine mission to go sideways, but he was even more surprised to find himself and his teammates rescued by the adorably shy woman he met in a stalled elevator. Caite’s selfless act saved his life, but when attempts on her own make it clear someone wants her gone, it’s Rocco’s turn to protect the brave, sweet, sexy woman. The longer he knows her, the more he wants her… but keeping Caite close could bring her nearer to the enemy than ever before.**Securing Caite is the 1st book in the SEAL of Protection: Legacy series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.

Letting Go


Abbie Zanders - 2017
    After learning her father has ALS, Hannah McGinnis returns home to Muskrat Falls, determined to oversee his care --- whether he likes it or not. Dealing with an imperfect health care system and her gruff, abrasive father is a challenge, but Hannah is every bit as stubborn as he is. Colonel Angus McGinnis, US Army Rangers, Ret. knows he hasn’t been an ideal father but before he ships out, he’s made it his mission to see his daughter happy and settled with a man worthy of her, one who will love her and treat her like the amazing woman she is. It’s got to be a covert mission though, because if Hannah realizes what he’s up to, she’ll mount her own campaign … of resistance.A year after an IED ended his military career, former US Army Ranger Medic Sergeant Ethan O’Malley is going to put his life back together, whether he thinks he’s ready to or not. The first step is accepting a position as a live-in caretaker to his father’s old Army buddy. The second will be getting the Colonel’s feisty daughter to accept him. The hostile yet intriguing Hannah isn’t going to make it easy for him, but Ethan is committed and he hasn’t failed a mission yet. Three headstrong, determined people. Three challenging missions. Having a plan Bravo isn’t going to be enough; to succeed, they’re each going to need plans Charlie, Delta, and Foxtrot, too.

Illusion


Ashley Beale - 2014
    Now being a year later, and still dealing with the horrible tragedy, she makes a move to New York City for her job, hoping to finally start healing.The last thing Zoey ever expects to find is someone she can feel so comfortable and happy with. Everything about Harvey draws her attention, and she can finally feel herself heal. There are times things seem too perfect, but she tries not to question it much as she holds onto the passion she has for him.When everything unravels and Zoey is forced to face a truth she can't seem to grasp, she has to make a choice to finally move on, or stay lost in a world of illusion.Sometimes life is simple, sometimes love is unexpected. Sometimes we're exactly where we need to be, when we need to be there.Then sometimes everything we thought we knew is just an illusion.This [New Adult] Contemporary Romance novel contains mature themes, graphic sex and language, and is recommended for readers, 18+ in age. Please be advised, this story also deals with PTSD, depression, infertility, attempted suicide, and other very mature situations, and is not recommended for all readers.

Lost and Found


Lori L. Otto - 2010
    I was so taken by Nate and Emi’s love for each other. It’s the kind of love that few have and many desire but never get to experience.” - Megan, Reading Books Like a Boss Independent and sensitive, idealistic and hopeful, Emi Hennigan lives her life with optimism and an open mind. Between sharing a tiny Manhattan apartment with her fun-loving roommate and spending most of her free time with her heart-breaker friend, Emi’s seen enough failed relationships to know what to avoid in her quest to find her true love. Not only that, but a single moment from her past lingers in her mind, setting high expectations for every man she dates. Emi’s best friend, artist and hopeless romantic Nate Wilson, has been her closest companion all of their adult lives. After swearing off love with Emi in a silly high school pact, Nate has been seeing other women in hopes of finding one that evokes stronger feelings than the ones he’s been harboring for Emi since he was a teen. Over the span of a year, boundaries are crossed, feelings are confessed, and their unique friendship begins to blossom into something more. Through Nate’s eyes, an atypical romance unfolds, disrupting the comfortable safe haven their friendship has provided. With a promising future ahead of them both, fate intervenes to bring two soul mates together. Photography and cover design by Christi Allen Curtis, assisted by Katrina Boone

Trying to Get Over You


J.D. Rivera - 2013
    College student Emily Reynolds has been in a three year relationship with Cooper Thomason but a few events has left their relationship shaken. She finds out she is pregnant and Cooper can’t give up his partying ways. Emily leaves Cooper and tries to find a life without him. She soon finds out a life without Cooper is harder than she thinks. Will Emily be able to move on from Cooper and find a relationship with another man or run back to him?

Pretty When She Cries


A. Zavarelli - 2020
    Ours was baptized in fire.I was the new girl trying to find her place.Landon was the brooding neighbor I tutored over the summer.I didn’t know he was a legend at Black Mountain Academy.I didn’t know they worshipped him like a religion.But I fell for him before I knew those things.To me, he was just the tortured soul who drew me in like a magnet.And then he did something so unspeakable, so unforgivable, it shattered me.I ran away then because I was weak, but I’ve shed my tears.He stole my heart and my dignity, and I’m here to take it back.The only problem is… he’s not giving it up without a fight.

Remembering Us


Stacey Lynn - 2014
    I followed it, begrudgingly, because it’s what was expected. And then one day, everything changed. I woke up. Different. Independent. Free from all the rules that had surrounded me. Only I have no idea how I got to where I am. I have no memory of graduating college. No memory of Adam, the boyfriend I live with. He loves me. And I love him. At least that’s what everyone says. Except when my memories return to me as dreams, I see a different man than the one everyone claims is perfect for me. He terrifies me. He makes my heart race and he makes me feel things I’ve never felt before. I have no idea if I want to welcome the emotional roller-coaster that his piercing brown eyes and messy black hair puts me on every time I get a glimpse of him, or if I want to run back to the safe shelter of the scripted life-plan that used to be mine.

Into the Light


L.B. Simmons - 2014
    Trust me when I say, it's a breathtaking sight to see. You burn as bright as the sun."When Aubrey Miller begins her education at Titan University, she is no longer the beautiful, blonde-haired, blue-eyed girl of her youth. In fact, she's no longer even Aubrey Miller. Overcome with guilt and unable to cope with the loss of her beloved family, she has long since buried eight-year old Aubrey along with them and transformed herself into Raven Miller. Now with jet-black hair, multiple sets of eccentric contact lenses, and several facial piercings, she's veiled herself in complete darkness as a form of protection for herself, as well as others. As she enters her first year of college, her goal is simple: Earn a degree with the least amount of social interaction as possible. What she never anticipates is the formation of very unlikely relationships with two people who will change her life in ways she never believed possible: Quinn Matthews, the overtly cheerful pageant queen, and Kaeleb McMadden, a childhood friend who never really let her go. Over the years, as their connections intertwine and strengthen, a seemingly indestructible bond is formed between the three. And eventually, the ties of friendship and discovery of first love begin to coax her from her darkened path as they slowly bring Aubrey back to life. But when faced with the possibility of yet another death, one from which she may never recover, Aubrey finds herself lost again, burying herself deeper than ever before beneath the familiar abyss of her fears. Spanning the course of four years, this is the story of a young woman's plight to finally reemerge, finding strength within unbreakable bonds as she delivers herself from her own manufactured darkness and safely back . . . Into the Light. ****WARNING - Due to the graphic nature of some scenes, this book is not recommended for those who are particularly sensitive to the death of a child and/or suicide and is intended for mature audiences only. Contains adult language and themes.****

Blitzed


Lauren Landish - 2016
    I brought her back to meet you.” I’m normally not into jocks, but when Troy Wood asks me out, I feel like I’m the Chosen One. After all, he’s hot as hell and Silver Lake’s best athlete, practically the King of Campus. God’s gift to women—that’s what they call him, but I’ll make a gentleman out of him. Everything is perfect, and he already practically has his ticket to the Big Leagues. There’s just one little problem . . . I’m hiding a secret that could destroy him and his future. I can’t tell him . . . I can’t tell him that I’m pregnant with his baby. **Blitzed is a full-length romance with an HEA, no cheating, and no cliffhanger!

Best Kind of Broken


Chelsea Fine - 2014
    Once upon a time, they were childhood friends. But that was before everything went to hell. And now things are... awkward.All they want to do is avoid each other, and their past, for as long as possible. But now that they're forced to share a bathroom, and therefore a shower, keeping their distance from one another becomes less difficult than keeping their hands off each other. Welcome to the hallway of awkward tension and sexual frustration, folks. Get comfy. It’s going to be a long summer.

Love Beyond Words


Emma Scott - 2014
    A passionate reader, she uses the writing of the world-famous and reclusive novelist Rafael Melendez Mendón to assuage her grief. His words are her refuge, his characters better company than anyone she could meet in real life… until Julian Kovač walks into the café one summer evening. He is a handsome, quiet young man and Natalie feels an instant connection. But Julian has a secret that is both the most wonderful revelation Natalie could possibly imagine…and the very thing that could tear them apart.

Corrupted


Alexis Noelle - 2016
    Prey left defenseless. She needs to hide. They cannot find her. They will kill her if they do. When Lucy decided to run, she didn’t know where to go. They were coming for her. She needed protection, but she had no one to help her. Until she came across the warehouse of the Deathstalkers MC and begged them for protection. Now she owes them her life and her loyalty. Her family will never end their search for her; she is a piece of property that needs to be recovered at any cost necessary. For Lucy, there are worse things than needing to hide for the rest of her life, being found is one of those things. Sometimes the obvious evils aren’t the ones you need to fear. *Disclaimer - The book is not recommended to readers sensitive to graphic depictions of violence. This book is not suitable for persons under 18 years of age.* Alexis Noelle's Corrupted stole my heart, twisted it inside out, cut it wide open and then ripped it to shreds before putting it back together. There were so many emotions that they're impossible to describe. Kudos to her for a wonderful book.- JA Hensley, Author Alexis Noelle has written a brutal and beautifully raw no holds bar MC book. - Glenna Maynard, Author "Corrupted is not your average MC book. It's beauty and pain, heartbreak and triumph womven onto the pages expertly. It's a masterful combination of raw emotion, love and the hard-fought happily ever after. "Dark and sexy, emotional and suspenseful, Noelle corrupted me in the best way..." - Casey Bond, Author An emotional roller coaster of a story. Alexis Noelle weaves an enthralling tale of family, lust and danger, drawing you into a love story with twists and betrayal. This is a "can't put down read", and will leave you with the best kind of book hangovers. A must read. - Melissa Huie, Author "Corrupted is Alexis’s best work yet to come. She dug deep into the nitty gritty, making my heart bleed for the main character and all she’d been through. Corrupted is a must read if you want raw and real love." - Brooke Page, Author

When the Stars Fall


Emery Rose - 2020
    My best friend. Fiercest ally. The most annoying boy in the world.At eighteen, the boy I loved to hate became the man I couldn’t live without.We were young. Madly in love. Invincible. Strong enough to weather any storm.Cocky enough to believe that no amount of time or distance could destroy us.When Jude finally returned home from overseas, it should have been cause for celebration. But the man I’d fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was someone I no longer recognized.𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛’𝑡 𝑑𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑒 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑. 𝐼’𝑚 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦.Now, after six long years he’s back. Only my heart ... it doesn’t beat just for him anymore.